Ponine, she knows her way around
by epo9
Summary: Eponine survives the barricades but is separated from everyone when she is rescued. Marius is taken back to his family home and is dealing with the loss of his friends. Eponine and Marius both believe each other to be dead. More action/plot based as it goes. A lot of parallels of Eponine and Valjean. Also the appearance of Cosette's father. T for some violence and language
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The thought of dying never came across Eponine's mind up until the moment she lay bleeding out in Marius's strong arms.

_Good God, what are you doing, 'Ponine, have you no fear?_ she thought to herself. What was the use that she had saved Marius, now that she would not live to see him thank her. Eponine reached out to stroke Marius's cheek. Every shallow breathe she took racked her body with pain, she was losing blood fast. Eponine's shirt had already been matted with blood, and now it was soaking on to Marius's coat. She forced a smile as she looked into Marius's tear filled eyes.

"Is this just some game that you rich young boys like to play?" she teased weakly. _I'm dying_, she thought,_ this is the end. _Eponine was exhausted; she relaxed her hand and let it fall beside her, and welcomed the darkness that overcame her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Eponine felt her head swimming. The world slipped in and out of her memory as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Everything around her seemed to be muffled by a blanket of silence. She heard gunshots ringing out, the sound of distant drumming, the angry voices of the students countered by orders from the National Guard, and the frantic voices of medics that searched the fallen for any signs of life. At one point she was rudely jerked from her fevered slumber by a searing pain to her chest. Her eyes flew open and she remembered seeing the concentrated face of a young man in a white uniform as he stooped over her. Eponine gritted her teeth, but could not hold back the scream that ripped from her throat. Her fists clenched and her leg kicked out, knocking a tray to the floor with a crash.

"_L'infirmiere,_ nurse!" called the young man urgently. He turned back to the girl lying before him. "Mademoiselle, please hold still, I am trying to remove the bullet from your wound."

It was like she had been shot all over again, as the pain radiated from her chest towards every nerve in her body. Her back arched in pain as she released another horrible cry. Suddenly there were strong hands holding her down on each limb.

"Hold still, mademoiselle, it will all be over soon!" said a voice. A blurred figure stroked her forehead as black spots dotted her vision. The pain was unbearable, and she felt every stitch the young man pierced through her skin, and every tug as he tried to close her wound. At each sting of pain, Eponine instinctively lashed back at her captors, fighting to free herself from the throbbing pain they were causing.

"Put her out, put her out!" she heard the young man say. Suddenly, there was a wet cloth thrown over her face, and Eponine felt her fist slowly unclench, and every muscle in her body relaxed as she once again drifted into a numbed darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Eponine was awakened by a throbbing headache. She felt heavy; she had no strength to lift her own hand. Slowly, she cracked open her eyes and saw the world spinning before her. After a few seconds, Eponine was able to focus on the figure stooped over her, holding her hand.

"M-Marius?" she wondered out loud. Her voice was dry and it echoed loudly in her head. The figure turned to face Eponine, and the light from the window shone on his white uniform. _You!_ she thought, _You were the one that caused me so much pain! Have I been captured? What plans does he have devised for me? Why did he help me?_ Eponine struggled to raise herself up, and gasped in surprise as a pain shot through her chest again, flattening her back on the bed.

"Careful, mademoiselle," said the young man, "I am the _docteur,_ I am here to tend to your wounds." He patted her shoulder gently, and took her hand in his again, pressing two fingers to her wrist to check her pulse. Eponine eyed him closely, careful not to make any sudden movements to trigger her chest pains. It was then she finally took in her surroundings.

Eponine deduced that she was in a makeshift hospital by the rows of cots that held other wounded men. The place was a dimly lit tent, but Eponine rested on the cot nearest the entrance. She noticed that there were no sounds of distant fighting, no shout of angry voices in the street. Her curiosity had the best of her, and she pursed her lips before she spoke to the young doctor.

"M'sieur," she asked, "how long has it been since the fighting?"

The man turned his face towards her at the sound of her voice. He laughed lightly as he stood up, brushing his hands against his shirt. "I don't believe that is your biggest concern at the moment, mademoiselle. I am done making my rounds for today,_l'infirmiere_ will tend to you for the night. I hope she will also find something decent for a young girl like you to wear."

For the first time in her waking moments, Eponine looked down at the condition of her body. Her shirt had been cut open and now her chest was completely bandaged down to her abdomen. A thin blanket covered her, but she could feel the course trousers that she had worn at the barricade still plastered to her leg. It took all her effort for her to reach up with her hand to touch the bandages that held her together.

"Ah ah ah," said the doctor sternly as he caught her hand and placed it back palm down on the cot. "In case you have not realized it yet, but you have been shot, mademoiselle. It is going to be a long and undoubtedly painful recovery process for you, but you may consider yourself lucky—the bullet did not pierce through your heart. Try to stay still as much as you can, I will be back to check on you tomorrow morning." The young man collected his belongings and walked briskly out of the tent into the warm afternoon sunset. Eponine rested her head against the lumpy pillow, the dull thumping in her head slowly lulled her back into a fitful state of unconsciousness.

* * *

She was awakened by a cool touch against her face. Her eyelids flew open in alarm, but she managed to compose herself when she remembered where she was. A plump elderly woman wrung a dirty towel over a bucket on the floor.

"Good evening, my girl," the women said, smiling warmly, "you can address me as Madame Bernadette. The _docteur_ has assigned me to take careful watch of you in your recovery. I cannot even begin to fathom why the likes of you would dare to don the clothes of a man and join in the ruckus of the barricade!"

Madame Bernadette continued to chatter on as she took the towel and continued in her attempts to scrub away the layers of dirt and blood that crusted over Eponine's skin. The young girl groaned inwardly as she tried to recollect her thoughts from the past few days. Eventually, she found it time to interrupt the elderly nurse.

"I have three sons, all wanted to join in the revolution at the barricade, to which I swiftly answered them with a—"

"Madame, how long since the barricade fell?" Eponine cut in.

Madame Bernadette was silenced for a moment by the girl's words. "And what makes you assume that the barricade fell and the revolution failed?"

Eponine's heart fell. She had guessed correctly. "I assumed by the absence of festivities and cheering, that their efforts were for naught."

"You are smart for your age, dear girl," piped Madame Bernadette as she lifted Eponine's right hand and began to scrub at her fingers. "You were among the dead when one of the rapscallion youngsters pillaging for ammunition found you to be holding on for dear life. You were brought here and have been a resident of this rather makeshift hospital for four days. You should have seen the state you were in! Pale as a ghost, but still in the fighting spirit…" Eponine drowned the nurse out with her own thoughts, occasionally nodding slowly to humor the elderly woman.

After what seemed like hours, Madame Bernadette seemed satisfied with the work she had done on Eponine, and she carried the bucket away. She returned with a fresh shirt, bustling that menswear was not proper for a young girl such as Eponine, but it was all that she could get her hands on at the moment. She helped Eponine as she gingerly moved to remove her bloody shirt and slipped the new one over the girl's slim figure.

Eponine barely said much more as the nurse helped prop her up to a sitting position and brought her a warm meal. The wonderful trails of steam floated into her nostrils as she hungrily wolfed down the freshly baked bread. _I must get better quickly so that I can find out what has become of dear Marius._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Marius came to, the first thing he felt was the gentle breeze brushing his cheek. _Am I with Eponine now? And the other students? Enjolras, Joly…_

Marius opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. No, he was not dead, but his friends remained so. Slumped in a chair next to his bed was his grandfather. Marius quietly cleared his throat and the old man jerked awake.

"Grandfather…" Marius started.

M. Gillenormand held up his hand and silenced Marius. "No, Marius, we shall not discuss the political matters anymore. I am only grateful that you are back here with us. Rest and get well. We will put these events behind us." He got up and paced towards the open window.

Although now his grandfather's hair was streaked with grey and his shoulders slumped forward, Marius could see that he was once a man of great youth and power. He lay his head back, allowing the memories to wash over him. He could still hear the bullets whizzing past, Enjolras barking orders to the students, he could still recall Eponine's tiny crumpled form at the barricade after she had been shot.

"Tell me, Grandfather," Marius ventured. The old man did not interrupt him. "What became of the barricade?"

His grandfather turned to look at him. After gathering his thoughts, the he slowly spoke, choosing his words carefully. "The barricade fell. The National Guard overpowered the students. Many lives were lost. The government congregated, they are determined to bring peace to the people before another uprising comes forth. The leaders are not pleased, no doubt they will crush any attempts of rebellion before it snowballs out of control again."

Marius sighed heavily. Although his grandfather had decided to come to terms with him, Marius could still feel the tension of their clashing beliefs.

Getting up out of the chair, M. Gillenormand placed a hand on his grandson's knee. "Rest, Marius. Get well, and we will focus our efforts on the future."

Nodding, Marius rested his head back, closing his eyes, falling into a fitful sleep, reliving the hellish moments at the barricade.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Thank's so much for the follows and favorites and reviews, I really appreciate it!)**

**Chapter 5**

"Wake up, girl!" Eponine woke to the nurse shaking her roughly. She whimpered softly in pain as she groggily reached up with a hand to rub at her eyes. Madame Bernadette crouched over her, holding a lantern above the injured girl.

"What…" Eponine started, confused and dreary.  
The nurse sat her up began buttoning the loose buttons on Eponine's shirt. "Word is that the National Guard will be here soon and they plan to arrest the members of the rebellion for treason against the Republic," the elderly woman whispered urgently. "It is not safe here, even for a girl like you."

Eponine cringed as the nurse slipped her arm into a sling, her old wrinkled fingers working meticulously to secure the girl's injured shoulder in bandages.

"Come now," Madame Bernadette ordered, wrapping a hand around Eponine's waist, gently but urgently supporting her as she stood up. Eponine cursed under her breath as her wound was irritated by the sudden movements. She remained hunched over in attempt to hold her upper body still as she made her way out onto the street, where a carriage was waiting. Down the alley, the rhythmic thump of boots on the cobblestone could be heard.

Madame Bernadette stepped into the carriage and managed to pull Eponine in as the driver flicked the reigns, prompting the horses. The elderly woman picked up a coat lying in the back seat and draped it over the frail girl's shoulders, hiding her injured arm. They sat in silence.

Finally, Eponine spoke. "What of the other boys that remain behind?"

The nurse stiffened. "I don't know," she said. After a brief pause, she added, "but I had to get you out of there."

Eponine's brows furrowed in confusion, but before her lips parted to question Madame Bernadette's actions, there was a shout out in the street and the carriage came to a halt. The elderly woman pulled the girl close to her, resting her arm around Eponine's shoulder. "Play along now," she hissed.

The door of the carriage clicked open and outside, a young uniformed man peered in. "What is your business about these streets tonight?" he demanded.

"My granddaughter and I are returning home," Madame Bernadette responded coolly, "she is not feeling well from our trip, ever since the scare from the barricade. Never seen anything like it, silly girl, and now she cannot get the images out of her mind." Eponine felt the hand on her shoulder tighten its grip.

The young man's eyes narrowed. He turned and motioned to his comrades. "Search the carriage before sending them on their way. Word is that the rebels may try to sneak out of Paris tonight." He stepped away from the carriage as the other soldiers made their way around the vehicle.

Eponine's breath quickened. Madame Bernadette stroked her hair. "We have nothing to hide," she said, pulling Eponine's coat tightly around her.

Suddenly the uniformed man reappeared at the carriage door. "Thank you for your cooperation," he said, nodding curtly before closing the door.

Eponine sighed with relief as the carriage once again jerked into motion. The elderly nurse kept her hand around Eponine's shoulder as they once again rode in silence. This time, it was Madame Bernadette that broke the quiet.

"You're curious as to why I brought you with me to escape the hospital," she said, echoing Eponine's exact thoughts. The girl nodded. "You remind me of my granddaughter," Bernadette explained. "She was an innocent, gentle soul, yet she had a fire about her. Always followed her brothers out, which ironically was what led to her demise. They accidentally shot her one day while she followed them out hunting." The nurse shook her head sadly. "She was so a gentle and kind child."

_I am nothing close to that_, Eponine thought coldly; she could not begin to imagine what would happen to the remaining barricade boys abandoned at the hospital. If they did not know Marius, they knew the same cause that they were all fighting for. Now she had been separated from those who might have had a clue to Marius's fate.


	6. Chapter 6

**(Feel free to let me know what you think in the reviews :) Thanks again you guys!)**

**Chapter 6**

Each day Eponine walked with a stronger step, and began straightening to her full height. Her arm remained in a sling, as her wound slowly started to heal. Madame Bernadette had generously provided Eponine with residence in her own home, but Eponine could not stand the way the nurse looked at her. Eponine knew she wasn't being seen as an injured patient, but as some deceased bourgeois girl.

Madame Bernadette never again mentioned the other patients from the hospital, although Eponine had tried on multiple occasions to bring up the subject, the nurse always seemed able to maneuver the conversation to another topic.

Today Eponine managed to escape Madame Bernadette's attention, and she walked the streets of Paris for the first time since the revolution. The once familiar cobblestone alleys seemed altogether different now. The usually loud hustle and bustle of people running errands was replaced by a hushed whisper as people darted about their business. Confused, Eponine peered around the square and noticed uniformed men standing post on corners of the street. She continued to make her way through the square until she saw a group of people huddled before the now boarded up Café Musain.

Curious, Eponine approached the small crowd, and she could see women holding their hands over their mouths as they looked upon the door. Pushing her way through, she disregarded the snippets of conversation that she caught as she mingled with the swarm of people.

"He is with God now."

"What was the use of all the fighting?"

"Where is the change that these boys fought for?"  
Eventually she was able to make it to the front of the throng to see what everyone was looking at. After a few seconds she was able to make out the heading scrawled at the top of a long piece of paper tacked to the boarded up door of the Café.

_Casualties from the Barricade_

Quickly, her eyes darted down the paper, disregarding the unfamiliar names that lined the yellow sheet. Then something caught her eye. Eponine reached out a trembling hand and traced the letters scribbled on the paper.

_Marius Pontmercy._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"No…" Eponine's fingers traced over the name over and over again, her hands suddenly cold and shaky. "There must be a mistake," she muttered aloud.

"No mistake." The young street girl jumped at the sudden voice beside her. A grizzled old man squinted back at her. "These are reports collected from the bodies, by those who recognized them, or by those who saw them shot and killed." The old man chuckled dryly. "Welcome to the Republic."

Eponine felt her feet moving, carrying her away from the wretched place that held too many memories. She felt everything move by her as if in a dream. Her brain was numb as she stumbled away from the square.

_Marius, how could you?_ she accused silently. _I took a bullet for you, and now I am living, yet you are not._ The heavens must be laughing at her now. What an absolute waste. How could Marius die? He was always supposed to be there. Eponine had longed to search for his friendly face and see the joy that lit up his face when he saw her. Angry tears streaked down her cheeks as she found herself in the outskirts of Paris. Stopping at the bridge, she looked down into the calm river.

In a few brief moments, Eponine made up her mind. She had to leave this damned city, for it held too many memories for her. There was nowhere for the street girl to go now, she had no family, no doubt her father would be waiting to punish her for foiling his plans at Rue Plumet. Yet Eponine set her mind on returning to the one place that she used to call home, the place where things once were not all that bad: Montfermeil.

**(hi guys! thanks so much for the follows/reviews! i'll try to update at least once every week or two, two tops. lemme know what you think so far :) )**


End file.
